Oklahoma lawmakers have voted in favour of a bill which enable adoption and foster agencies to reject same-sex couples because of their religious beliefs.
The Oklahoma House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 1140 on April 26, after the bill had been passed by the state Senate on March 13.
If Republican Governor Mary Fallin signs it into law, the legislation will come into affect on November 1 this year.
The bill says that “no private childplacing agency receiving neither federal nor state funds shall be required to perform, assist, counsel, recommend, consent to, refer, or participate in any placement of a child for foster care or adoption when the proposed placement would violate the agency’s written religious or moral convictions or policies.”
But many states have tried to find ways around this ruling, mostly through the idea that there should be a religious exception for people and agencies who believe LGB people should not be parents because of their faith.
Including Oklahoma, eight states – including Alabama, Michigan, Mississippi, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Virginia – have managed to pass a law of this kind, which stops same-sex couples from fostering or adopting kids.
GLAAD’s vice president of programmes Zeke Stokes condemned the legislation, saying: “This bill is heartless and un-American.
“No qualified parent should be turned away from adoption or foster agencies simply because they are LGBTQ.”
Stokes called the bill an “attempt to write anti-LGBTQ discrimination into law at the expense of the state’s youth in need of loving and supportive homes.”
The US is currently embroiled in a battle between so-called religious liberty and LGBT people that centres on whether homophobic Christians should have the ability to discriminate against gay people.
This ongoing fight for rights can also be seen in attempts by other states to join the several who already allow discrimination in the name of their religion.
The bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee, but never saw the light of day in the House or Senate, with several attempts to attach it to other prospective laws failing. Eventually, time ran out for its supporters, with the legislative session ending on March 30.
Oklahoma already has anti-LGBT legislation on the books, as one of several states with a so-called ‘no promo homo’ law which prohibits teachers in publicly funded schools from discussing LGBT issues in the classroom.
Alabama, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas have similar laws.
A significant number of straight men have gay sex, a study has shown.
The analysis of 24,000 undergraduate students revealed that of the men whose last hookup was with a male partner, one in eight defined as heterosexual.
This figure twice as high among women, with one in four whose last sexual experience was a lesbian one identifying as straight.
That study, which had 2,300 respondents, found that women were 33 percent more likely to orgasm when they were having sex with another woman.
The newly released results were discovered by Arielle Kuperberg – an associate professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro – and Alicia M. Walker, assistant professor of sociology at Missouri State University.
Published in Archives of Sexual Behaviour, “Heterosexual College Students Who Hookup with Same-Sex Partners” listed some characteristics of people who would have sexual relations with same-sex partners but continue to self-identify as straight.
Tellingly, these included “more conservative attitudes.”
The researchers also found that there were distinct types of stright people who would engage in gay sex.
Three types,” they explained, “comprising 60% of students, could be classified as mostly private sexual experimentation among those with little prior same-sex experience, including some who did not enjoy the encounter.”
But, Kuperberg and Walker continued, “the other two types in this group enjoyed the encounter, but differed on drunkenness and desire for a future relationship with their partner.”
They said that though some of the hookups were explained away as “performative bisexuality” by women, this factor made up a small minority of the students – just 12 percent, in fact.
More than one in four – 28 percent – had “strong religious practices and/or beliefs that may preclude a non-heterosexual identity, including 7 percent who exhibited ‘internalised heterosexism.’”
Researchers studied the reaction of men and women who identified as heterosexual when they were shown different kinds of pornographic material.
The study’s author, Ritch C. Savin-Williams, said he wasn’t surprised by the research findings, but that he was shocked how many people still identified as heterosexual despite the evidence.
“We’re trying to get at the way people really are,” he said. “Sometimes, it seems people are one way but believe they have to report themselves in another way, and that’s not good.”
Savin-Williams added that the findings of his study proved a “loosening of the boundaries”.
“I think that’s happening for both sexes. It’s probably a good thing, because it gives kids growing up more diversity, more options, so they don’t feel like they have to fit in [at all costs].”
Hawaii has become the twelfth state to pass a ban on gay ‘cure’ therapy for minors.
On April 27, a conference committee cleared the way for the bill to be sent to Democratic Governor David Ige, who is expected to sign SB 270 into law.
Earlier this month, the state’s House of Representatives passed the bill, which bans efforts to “engage in or attempt to engage in sexual orientation change efforts on a person under eight years of age.”
It sailed through the Democrat-dominated legislature with just two votes against, from Republican leaders Gene Ward and Bob McDermott.
The lone vote against belonged to Democratic Senator Mike Gabbard, the head of the so-called Alliance for Traditional Marriage and Values, who previously waged a campaign to ban same-sex marriage in the state.
Performing gay cure therapy on minors is already is illegal in 11 US states and counting, as well as Switzerland, Malta, Taiwan, two Canadian provinces and the Australian state of Victoria.
Michael Golojuch, chair of the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s LGBT Caucus, said: “This has been a priority of the caucus for years,” according to NewNowNext.
He added that the bill “ensures that LGBTQ youth will not be tortured by mental health professionals.”
Lt. Gov. Doug Chin, who is running for Congress, supported the bill “based upon my firmly held belief that no-one should ever be made to feel there is something ‘wrong’ with them because of who they love or how they identify.”
The bill states: “The American Psychological Association convened a task force on appropriate therapeutic responses to sexual orientation.
(daniel ramirez/flickr)
“The task force conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed journal literature on sexual orientation change efforts. The task force concluded that sexual orientation change efforts are unlikely to be successful and involve risk of harm to lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals, including depression, suicidality, loss of sexual feeling, anxiety, shame, negative self-image, and other negative feelings and behaviours.
“The legislature further finds that children and adolescents who participate in these types of sexual orientation change efforts, which often use fear-based techniques, are given inaccurate scientific information regarding sexual orientation and gender identity and are also at risk of increased self-stigma and psychological distress.”
It adds: “The legislature additionally finds that sexual orientation change efforts are opposed by the country’s leading medical and mental health professional organisations, including the American Psychological Association, American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Psychiatric Association, National Association of Social Workers, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“The purpose of this Act is to protect the physical and psychological well-being of minors, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, against exposure to serious harms caused by sexual orientation change efforts by regulating the conduct of specific state-licensed persons who provide professional counselling to minors under the age of eighteen and prohibiting these professionals from engaging in, attempting to engage in, or advertising the offering of sexual orientation change efforts on persons under eighteen years of age.”
Running out of money and down on his luck, right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos laid off the small staff of Milo Entertainment Inc. earlier this month, according to three people familiar with the situation.
Yiannopoulos’ company has fallen on hard times ever since his former patrons, Robert and Rebekah Mercer, severed their financial backing last year.
According to the sources, Yiannopoulos had been expecting to instead receive significant financial backing from the banking heir and cryptocurrency billionaire Matthew Mellon. But those hopes were dashed with Mellon’s unexpected death from an apparent drug overdose on April 16.
On Monday, Yiannopoulos posted a photo on Instagram of himself with Mellon. “I spent a few days and nights in Miami and LA with the incredible human being Matthew Mellon, the last of them just a day before he passed,” Yiannopoulos wrote in the caption. “He was brilliant, infectious and warm-hearted and I will never forget getting to know this remarkable person. Rest in peace now, MM. You left a giant stamp on the world.”
With Mellon’s unexpected death, Yiannopoulos could no longer afford the staff of Milo Entertainment.
“He fired everybody,” said one person familiar with Yiannopoulos’ operation, which had employed a handful of full-time and part-time staffers.
Among them was the journalist Chadwick Moore, who was technically terminated several days before learning of his firing, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Moore spent those days with Yiannopoulos, unaware that he had been fired. Yiannopoulos was supposed to inform Moore of his dismissal, according to a person familiar with the situation.
Instead, Milo Inc. CEO Alexander Macris ended up having to call Moore and tell him about his termination.
Moore, in an email, said: “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about. I’m just an editor. I got paid today and the work continues!”
Yiannopoulos also disputed this version of events. “There is nothing I was supposed to tell Chadwick that I did not tell him in a timely fashion and in any case such news comes from the CEO not me,” he said.
Yiannopoulos’s business includes Milo Worldwide LLC and Milo Entertainment Inc. The layoffs hit Milo Entertainment Inc., the corporate entity used for employment purposes.
Despite their termination from Milo Entertainment, Moore and Macris retain interests in Milo Worldwide. Yiannopoulos said Moore and Macris were terminated from Milo Entertainment because of the costs of their health care, but that he had increased their compensation through Milo Worldwide to compensate for the move. At least two other full-time staffers were let go entirely.
“The video component of my daily show was stopped recently as the cost wasn’t justifiable,” he wrote in a text message. “Show is now audio only. There were two layoffs as a result. But nothing has changed elsewhere or at Dangerous.com.”
As for those affected, they are taking a less rosy view. “People are very, very furious,” said a person familiar with the situation.
Parkland shooting survivors Cameron Kasky and David Hogg are reportedly going to prom together. On Monday, Kasky shared a Tweet of himself smiling and embracing Hogg with the caption “Prom 2018.”
The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High students have been among the most visible survivors of the Feb. 14 mass school shooting. Hogg, a senior, and Kasky, a junior, have appeared together in interviews advocating for gun control and school safety. They also helped organize the “March For Our Lives’’ rally in Washington, D.C. last month.
The school’s senior class is organizing an “over the top” prom at the Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The prom will be both romantic and glamorous while paying tribute to the students who lost their lives Feb. 14. There will be a memorial near the entrance of the prom’s ballroom.
As far as I can tell, neither student is openly gay, so this could be both a statement of solidarity for LGBT youth and an immense troll of the right wingers, who have singled out Hogg in particular with countless anti-gay memes.
If federal lawmakers want to show they care about children and families, there’s perhaps no better opportunity in the near term than by passing the Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (CWPIA). Pending in the House as H.R. 1881 (introduced by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Penn.)), and in the Senate as S. 811 (introduced by Senator Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)), CWPIA would ensure that the maximum number of adoption providers remain in the marketplace and are able to serve America’s overloaded and burdened foster-care systems.
As FRC’s Travis Weber recently pointed out in an analysis of the topic, CWPIA is a win-win solution to our current foster-care dynamic. Protecting the freedom of providers to operate according to their beliefs ensures the maximum number of providers remain open for business and able to serve the ever-present waiting list of children looking for families to take them in. It also ensures the maximum number of potential adoptive families looking for children.
Charitable organizations, as Travis observes, make massive financial contributions to our nation’s public welfare — often without recognition or credit. These organizations include adoption providers. Yet these same providers are facing threats to their existence. They have already been forced out of Massachusetts, Illinois, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco due to their beliefs, and some were just suspended in Philadelphia. As they seek to follow their beliefs while continuing to serve the public good, the threat to them has continued to metastasize in other states, with lawsuits and public pressure opposing their freedom to operate according to their beliefs.
This bill prohibits the federal government, and any state or local government that receives federal funding for any program that provides child welfare services under part B (Child and Family Services) or part E (Foster Care and Adoption Assistance) of title IV of the Social Security Act (SSAct), from discriminating or taking an adverse action against a child welfare service provider that declines to provide, facilitate, or refer for a child welfare service that conflicts with the provider’s sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions.
The Department of Health and Human Services must withhold 15% of the federal funds that a state or local government receives for such programs if the state or local government violates this bill. An aggrieved child welfare service provider may assert such an adverse action violation as a claim or defense in a judicial proceeding and to obtain all appropriate relief (including declaratory relief, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney’s fees and costs).
In a striking shift from recent years, major legislation curtailing LGBT rights has been completely stymied in state capitols around the country this year amid anxiety by Republican leaders over igniting economic backlash if they are depicted as discriminatory.
In the thick of this year’s legislative sessions, LGBT activists were tracking about 120 proposed bills that they viewed as threats to their civil rights. Not one of them has been enacted as many sessions now wind down; only two remain under serious consideration.
A key factor in the shift: In the Republican-led states where these types of bills surface, moderate GOP lawmakers and business leaders are increasingly wary of losing conventions, sporting events and corporate headquarters.
North Carolina, Indiana and Arizona were among the states that faced similar backlash in recent years over such legislation.
“Being anti-equality is not considered good politics anymore,” said legislative specialist Cathryn Oakley of the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBT rights organization.
Just two years ago, it seemed that the state-level bills might proliferate. North Carolina passed a bill restricting transgender people’s bathroom access and Mississippi enacted a sweeping law allowing state employees and private businesses to deny services to LGBT people based on religious objections. Seven states have passed laws allowing faith-based adoption agencies some degree of protection if they refuse to place children with same-sex couples.
To the extent that the tide has turned, it’s due partly to the fallout over the North Carolina bill in 2016. The NCAA and NBA pulled games from the state; there were projections before lawmakers rolled back the restrictions that the law would cost the state several billion dollars in lost business.
The change in momentum at the state level comes at a time when conservatives have a strong ally in President Donald Trump on the issue. His administration is seeking to exclude transgender people from military service and promoting exemptions that could enable businesses, health care providers and others to refuse to accommodate LGBT people based on their religious beliefs.
Later this year, perhaps in June, a potentially momentous ruling is expected from the U.S. Supreme Court on whether businesses that serve the public can cite religious objections to refuse service to LGBT people, even in states that protect them in their nondiscrimination laws. The case involves a Colorado baker who did not want to make a cake for a same-sex couple to celebrate their wedding.
Some conservatives suggest legislative leaders are treading softly on these issues now for fear of provoking big corporations and pro sports leagues that support LGBT rights.
“The left is leveraging the cultural and economic power of big businesses like Amazon and Apple to force smaller businesses and nonprofits that hold traditional views on marriage to shut down,” contends attorney Emilie Kao, a religious freedom expert with the conservative Heritage Foundation.
“A lot of people feel they’re being bullied into silence, and the big businesses are all on the side of this new sexual orthodoxy,” Kao added. “For social conservatives, it feels very much like David and Goliath.”
This year, certainly, conservatives have struggled to gain much traction at the state level on LGBT-related issues. Among the many bills that failed:
—A Tennessee measure that would have required the state to defend schools in court if they were sued for limiting transgender students’ access to bathrooms.
—A South Dakota bill that would have required signs on some public restroom doors notifying users that a person of the opposite sex might be inside.
—A “religious liberties” bill in Georgia that would have given legal protection to faith-based adoption agencies that decline to place children with same-sex couples.
An ever-growing number of states — at least a dozen — have passed bills banning the practice of “gay conversion therapy” on minors. And voters in Anchorage, Alaska, rejected a ballot measure that would have restricted transgender people’s access to public restrooms.
The two remaining bills being tracked by LGBT groups — in Kansas and Oklahoma — are similar to Georgia’s adoption bill. Supporters say they are needed to ensure that faith-based agencies which oppose same-sex marriage can still help accommodate the rising number of children entering foster care due to the opioid crisis.
Without the bills, Kao says faith-based agencies face potential lawsuits by LGBT-rights groups “because they follow their beliefs that every child deserves both a mother and a father.”
The changing dynamics across the U.S. reflect the growing political clout of LGBT groups.
Megadonor Tim Gill has become one of the nation’s leading philanthropists for LGBT causes, spending tens of millions of dollars from his fortune accrued from a software company he started. One of his priorities now is to move beyond “the easy states” and build new alliances in Republican-controlled states that could pave the way for non-discrimination laws.
His Denver-based foundation is helping bankroll a national campaign being launched this week by the Ad Council, known for iconic public service ad campaigns including Smokey Bear and “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk.” Called “Beyond I Do,” it makes the point that while same-sex marriage is now legal nationwide, LGBT people still face legal discrimination in a majority of states — including getting evicted, fired or denied services.
Only 19 states — mostly Democratic strongholds — offer comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for gays, lesbians and transgender people.
The new ad campaign is projected to get at least $15 million in donated media support — including TV and radio time, and billboard space. Among the people featured in more than 20 stories and video spots are a Michigan couple who said a pediatrician refused to treat their newborn daughter because of objections to their same-sex marriage, and an Ohio woman who says she was fired as a teacher because she is a lesbian.
“We have to make new and different friends,” Gill said. “Ultimately a federal solution is better, but it always comes after the states have demonstrated the need.”
A couple’s newborn baby faced discrimination because of their sexual orientation. The discrimination is 100 percent legal.
Michigan residents, Jami and Krista Contreras, took their newborn baby to the doctor, and their daughter was denied care.
Is our doctor coming in? She said no-I’m going to be your doctor, your doctor prayed on it and decided she won’t see you all today,” Krista said in an interview with ABC 7.
The couple is speaking out in the new ‘Beyond I do’ campaign that aims to raise awareness about the issues the LGBTQ community experiences.
The couple was surprised to learn that the discrimination is legal, and hopes to educate their friends and peers about the law.
“We spoke to other people and they would say well they can’t do that… that’s not legal and we looked into it and it was legal,” Jami said.
Even though the couple has faced discrimination in the past because of their LGBTQ lifestyle they never imagined it would impact their baby girl.
“It was horrifying and humiliating and we just kept thinking god she’s 6 days old and she’s already experiencing discrimination,” Krista said.
To coincide with this, a protest will take place on 19 April at 1pm in front of Marlborough House, London.
37 countries still have a gay sex ban
‘It’s outrageous that in 2018 Commonwealth leaders are still refusing to even discuss LGBT human rights,’ Peter Tatchell, whose foundation helped to launch the petition, told Gay Star News.
‘It’s never been on their agenda in six decades. Millions of LGBT people live in countries where being gay is a crime. That’s a violation of the Commonwealth charter and international law.
‘The fact the Commonwealth colludes with homophobic, biphobic and transphobic discrimination is truly appalling.
‘This petition is to tell the Commonwealth leaders that time’s up on blocking the debate and refusing to remedy the gross persecution of LGBT people in 37 member states.’
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder of UK Black Pride, told GSN it’s important to question why these sodomy laws exist.
‘This is about colonialism,’ she said.
‘For me rejecting an MBE was not down to “I didn’t care”, I rejected it because LGBT people in Commonwealth countries are still tortured, persecuted, criminalized, imprisoned – they lose everything.
‘How could I possibly elevate an award over people I set out to serve?’
‘Britain should apologize’
S Chelvan, the International Rights Officer for UK Black Pride, was born in Sri Lanka.
For the past 16 years, he has worked with many people from Commonwealth countries who have fled persecution on the basis of their sexuality or gender identity.
‘Britain should apologize,’ he told GSN, adding it should avoid ‘neo-colonialism’.
‘[The government should] ask the activists how they want to address the inequalities in their countries,’ he added.
‘Listen to the activists, create the safe spaces, and take their directions on what they want us to do. We want to provide solidarity.’
Demands for Commonwealth’s 37 countries that ban homosexuality
These are the four demands of the petition to the leaders of all Commonwealth nations:
Decriminalize same-sex relations
Prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
Enforce laws against threats and violence, to protect LGBT+ people from hate crimes
Consult and dialogue with national LGBT+ organizations
The petition is supported by: The Commonwealth Equality Network, Kaleidoscope Trust, Peter Tatchell Foundation, UK Black Pride, African Equality Foundation, Equality Network, African Rainbow Family, Movement for Justice, House of Rainbow, Out & Proud African LGBTI, Micro Rainbow, Africa Advocacy Foundation, Rainbow Across Borders, African Eye Trust. Manchester Migrant Solidarity and Care2.
An anti-LGBT lobbying group is fighting to keep details of its discussions with the Trump administration private – after a subpoena directed activists to turn over documents relating to the transgender troop ban.
Donald Trump announced on Twitter in July 2017 that all transgender servicepeople would be purged from the US armed forces, claiming they were a “burden” on the military.
Despite a string of lawsuits, the White House issued a formal policy document last month that backed the stance by citing transgender people’s “high rates of mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders” and “extremely high rates of suicidal ideation and other comorbidities.” The document also claimed that “transition-related treatment is proving to be disproportionately costly.”
Leading and military experts came forward to deride the claims, with the American Medical Association stressing that there is “no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from service.” Two former Surgeons General also rubbished the Trump administration’s report.
It has since been alleged that Vice President Mike Pence played a leading role in the creation of that report alongside anti-LGBT lobbyists from the Heritage Foundation and Family Research Council, working over the head of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
The Family Research Council now says it has been served with a subpoena to disclose its documents relating to the policy.
Tony Perkins of FRC told supporters: “[LGBT activists] have resorted to one of their favourite avenues to impose their fringe agenda: the court system.
“They have issued subpoenas, demanding that we produce all communications on the topic between senior leaders at Family Research Council and the administration.
“We’ve had to hire a law firm to represent us in the case, and our lawyers have objected to this demand, asserting our First Amendment religious freedom and speech rights. The LGBT activist groups have now filed a motion seeking a court order compelling us to turn over the privileged documents.
“Let me be clear, the purpose of these subpoenas is not to resolve any constitutional questions. Their intent is clear – to intimidate FRC and our supporters from standing up for our military service members.
“They also know that it takes significant time and resources to respond to subpoenas, scarce time and resources that we should be focusing on advancing faith, family, and freedom.”
Perkins added: “As a trusted friend of FRC, I wanted to make you aware of this developing situation and ask for your prayers.”
Tony Perkins, President of the Family Researcil Council, stand for the Pledge of Allegiance on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention (Win McNamee/Getty)
There are a string of lawsuits in progress connected to the transgender ban, and district court judges have already issued injunctions blocking the policy from coming into effect.
GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) are behind Doe v. Trump, the first of four cases filed against the ban.
Of the administration’s recently-outlined plans, Jennifer Levi of GLAD said: “This Trump-Pence plan categorically bans transgender people from service, with no legitimate basis. It requires the discharge of trained, skilled troops who have served honourably for decades. It’s a gross mischaracterisation of transgender people, and it’s bad for our military.”
Shannon Minter of NCLR added: “This is exactly the discriminatory, categorical ban that four federal courts have already barred from going forward.
“This is just the sort of baseless attack on dedicated service members we have come to expect from this administration, and we will continue to fight this shameful ban vigorously in federal court.”
Former U.S. Surgeons General M. Joycelyn Elders and David Satcher previously warned against the ban.
They said: “We are troubled that the Defense Department’s report on transgender military service has mischaracterised the robust body of peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of transgender medical care as demonstrating ‘considerable scientific uncertainty.’
“In fact, there is a global medical consensus that such care is reliable, safe and effective. An expectation of certainty is an unrealistic and counterproductive standard of evidence for health policy—whether civilian or military—because even the most well-established medical treatments could not satisfy that standard. Indeed, setting certainty as a standard suggests an inability to refute the research.
“A wide body of reputable, peer-reviewed research has demonstrated to psychological and health experts that treatments for gender dysphoria are effective.
“Research on the effectiveness of medical care for gender dysphoria was the basis of the American Medical Association’s 2015 resolution that ‘there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from service in the U.S. military,’ and we expressed our support for the resolution at the time of its passage.
“In light of [the] announcement concerning military policy for transgender service members, we underscore that transgender troops are as medically fit as their non-transgender peers and that there is no medically valid reason—including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria—to exclude them from military service or to limit their access to medically necessary care.”
The American Psychological Association also condemned the Trump administration’s stance.
It said: “The American Psychological Association is alarmed by the administration’s misuse of psychological science to stigmatise transgender Americans and justify limiting their ability to serve in uniform and access medically necessary health care.
“Substantial psychological research shows that gender dysphoria is a treatable condition, and does not, by itself, limit the ability of individuals to function well and excel in their work, including in military service. The science is clear that individuals who are adequately treated for gender dysphoria should not be considered mentally unstable. Additionally, the incidence of gender dysphoria is extremely low.
“No scientific evidence has shown that allowing transgender people to serve in the armed forces has an adverse impact on readiness or unit cohesion. What research does show is that discrimination and stigma undermine morale and readiness by creating a significant source of stress for sexual minorities that can harm their health and well-being.”
